It's been a while since my last gardening post, but I'm back and today I'd like to show you the pumpkins we've been growing in the garden and also tell you why.
These pumpkins would look really nice, even fit for a magazine cover, but they don't. There are those spots that make them look bad, but for us it's not a problem. Those spots are due to the hail storm that we had about a month ago. When the hail storm happened, these were still small and there was a chance the damage could destroy them, but luckily, the wounds have healed since then.
We grow these pumpkins for the seeds only as the rest is not for human consumption. It may looks like waste, but trust me, waste is not acceptable in any of our households, this is why the rest of the pumpkin has a good purpose.
Meet Susie! She's the lady who got the rest of he pumpkin and I bet she loved it. She's not ours, she's the property of the neighbor's though. I am just visiting her from time to time, when I'm there.
The good thing about this pumpkin is that the seeds have no outer layer. So after separating the seeds from the rest, the seeds must be washed well, then dried.
The best is to spread the seeds on a paper towel, that will dry up the excess water. The seeds have to be kept out of the sun and turned from time to time.
Selling pumpkin and sunflower seeds is a huge business in my country and not only. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are associated with watching football matches and sports events in general, that is why sunflower seeds are often sold in pack with a beer or a soft drink.
This is not the reason we grow these though. Pumpkin seeds have a lot of health benefits, you can read about them here.
Our goal is to grow as much as we need in the garden. Growing your own fruits, vegetables, herb, tea has a lot of benefits. It is never easy as caring for a garden means sacrificing time and money, but you at least know you get healthy, organic ingredients.
So what happens to these seeds you may wonder. After drying them, you can grill them in a frying pan, without adding any oil and hen slightly salt them. After that, put them in a blender, make a rough mix, which you can add one spoon to your morning oatmeal yogurt. This way you have your daily dose of vitamins and other essential minerals as well as the oil that contains. Just make sure not to exaggerate as 100g of pumpkin seeds means 541 calories, equivalent of a 100g chocolate bar.
This is why the recommended daily quantity is 28g, which they say is 85 seeds.
Health is important! So if you have some spare space in your garden, just throw some seeds on a hole and you'll have pumpkins and pumpkin seeds. Look for seeds without outer layer. It's easier.
